The
following fact sheet was prepared by the ECAR Center staff. Once
prepared, each ECAR Center fact sheet undergoes a review process
with the applicable state environmental agency(ies). You can check
on the status of the review process here.
Please read the disclaimer on the status page. While we have tried
to present a summary of the essential information on this topic,
you should be aware that other items, such as local regulations,
may apply to you.

What You Need to Know

Used
antifreeze, through contact with a car's cooling system, may contain
traces of lead and benzene, making it a possible hazardous waste. If not properly managed and stored,
these pollutants can seep into soil and groundwater harming people
and the environment.

This
fact sheet will tell you:

How to handle antifreeze appropriately.

What you need to do if you do not qualify in order to
manage antifreeze in compliance with hazardous waste rules

Regulations

Waste
Classification.
Antifreeze is made up using some regulated chemicals including ethylene
glycol and propylene glycol. During use, antifreeze can become contaminated
with traces of benzene and lead. Used antifreeze should never be
disposed of down storm drains or surface waters. It is illegal and
dangerous to discharge antifreeze to septic tanks, dry wells or
to the outdoors.

Due
to its composition, used antifreeze can be considered a hazardous waste. Unlike most states, the State
of Massachusetts has not adopted the federal regulations that apply
to used antifreeze management. Massachusetts' requirements for antifreeze
are stricter than the federal rules and more complicated. Under
state law, even if it is recycled, antifreeze is designated as a
listed hazardous waste and there are extensive requirements
for classifying recyclable materials and recycling facility permits.
All aspects of hazardous waste recycling, including transportation,
are regulated.

See
the ECAR Hazardous Waste fact sheet for details about storing,
handling, and shipping of hazardous wastes.

Generator
Status. Since Massachusetts considers waste
oil to be a hazardous waste, you must determine your generator status.
Click on the ECAR Hazardous Waste Fact Sheet to understand more
about determining your generator status.

Storage
and Labeling. Store antifreeze in closed containers
on an impermeable concrete surface with spill controls. Consider
keeping antifreeze in two separate, closed containers: one for antifreeze
that cannot be reused marked “Waste Antifreeze Only-Hazardous Waste.”

Spills. Clean up all spills
right away. Keep spill control equipment in a central location,
accessible to all employees. All chemical spills that occur within
the State of Georgia must be reported to the 24-Hour Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Emergency Response
hotline at 617-556-1133 or 888-304-1133.

Filter
Management. Waste antifreeze filters and particulate
generated from recycling antifreeze also must be managed as hazardous
waste. See the ECAR Hazardous Waste fact sheet for additional information.

Record Keeping. Contract with a licensed transporter to pick up your
waste oil for recycling or disposal. Save your shipping records
for at least three years.

Links
to the Regulations. Use
the following links to view the regulations pertaining to used antifreeze
management.

When an inspector
comes to your facility, there are certain things he or she checks
to see if you are in compliance with environmental regulations.
It makes good sense for you to perform a "self-audit"
and catch and correct problems before they result in penalties.
Also, there are some compliance incentives associated with self-audits
(see Audit
Policy Page).

Use the following
list to audit your antifreeze storage areas and management procedures.

Is used antifreeze stored in drums, tanks or other containers
that are in good condition? Open
containers, and rusting or leaking containers cannot be used
for antifreeze storage.

Are
antifreeze storage containers and tanks properly labeled? All waste antifreeze should be labeled
“Waste Antifreeze Only,” and antifreeze that can be recycled
or reused, should be marked “Usable Antifreeze Only.”

Is the
area around the used antifreeze storage containers free of releases? Releases must be stopped; the released
material cleaned up and managed properly and reported to DEP.

Is used
antifreeze transported to a recovery facility by a certified
transporter? Check your records and verify that
all shipments of used antifreeze were removed from your property
by a state certified transporter.

Is oil,
solvent or other materials mixed with used antifreeze? Verify that there are separate,
clearly labeled containers for each type of material, and that
used antifreeze is not mixed with used oil, solvents and other
materials.

Best
Management Practices (BMPs)

Most regulations
tell you what you have to do to be in compliance, but they don’t
explain how to do it. That’s where "best management practices"
come into play. BMPs are proven methods that help you to get into
compliance and stay there. The following BMPs are recommended for
used antifreeze storage areas and management procedures.

Use separate
equipment for the collection of used antifreeze (funnels, pads,
storage containers).

Drain antifreeze
from radiators and heater cores as soon as possible.

Keep waste
antifreeze free from cross-contamination with other wastes,
including used oil, fuels, degreasers or radiator flush chemicals.

Determine
if the antifreeze is waste fluid or reusable and can be recycled.

Recycle
by reuse, distillation, filtration or ion exchange. Recycling
can be done on-site or off-site by an antifreeze recycling service.

Consider
keeping antifreeze in two separate, closed containers: one for
antifreeze that cannot be reused marked "Waste Antifreeze,"
and one marked "Usable Antifreeze."

Do not
dispose of antifreeze down storm drains, in septic tanks, dry
wells or on bare ground.

Keep any
records relating to used antifreeze for at least 3 years. This
includes receipts for used antifreeze shipments and any laboratory
results.

Contacts

For more information, contact
the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection at
617-338-2255 or 800-462-0444, or find a DEP Regional Service Center near you.

To report a spill or leak, call
the 24-Hour DEP Emergency Response hotline at 617-556-1133 or
888-304-1133.

To report an environmental incident
or complaint, contact the Environmental Strike Force
at
617-556-1000 or 888-VIOLATE (1-888-846-5283).